


The Lonely Hearts Club

by call_me_gwen



Category: Naruto
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-05-28 16:51:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19398358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_gwen/pseuds/call_me_gwen
Summary: Sakura and Kakashi stumble into what most would call an inappropriate relationship. It’s explicit, it’s wrong, and it’s actually illegal. But neither of them can seem to stop.





	1. Chapter 1

Kakashi reclined against a tree on the outskirts of the training grounds. The leaves dappled him in shade and sunlight, and a cool wind ruffled the pages of the book he balanced on one upturned knee. Perfect weather for reading and relaxing on a day off.

“Shaaaaanaro!” An angry growl rang across the clearing, and a moment later the sound of earth cracking, rocks exploding, and a tree falling broke through his peace. He closed his eyes and sighed. Today wasn’t a day off. It was a training day, and he’d been asked by Tsunade to assess his former team’s abilities and skills and refresh them on the basics, those things that people tend to get lazy about.

He cracked his eye open again, watching Sai summon a large owl made of ink from one of his scrolls. The creature used its talons to pull his master away from the girl currently punching craters all over the field. He stood, dusting off his pants and pocketing his book.

“Sakura-chan!” he called. She paused in her assault and jogged over to him.

“Yes, sensei?” She had beads of sweat dampening and curling the pink strands around her face and neck that her braid couldn’t contain. There was dirt sticking to her, kicked up from her monstrous strength. Her power was impressive, but sometimes she still wielded it too clumsily.

“I know your punches are powerful. But your approach doesn’t seem to be working with this opponent. Keep attacking this way, and you’ll just deplete your chakra.”

She pulled a face at him, obviously annoyed that he’d criticize what was obviously an impressive display of skill and raw power. “Deplete my chakra? I don’t think so,” she said, pointing a dainty finger at the diamond on her head. Her green eyes were bright from exertion and adrenaline and that look she got when facing a challenge. Usually he was smart enough not to mess with her when she had that expression. He often didn’t have the energy to expend any energy…if that made any sense. But she knew better. He knew that she knew better. And he worried that perhaps his laziness was rubbing off on her.

“Sai!” he called. Sai’s ink owl gently let him down next to Kakashi. “Sub out with me. You’re done for the day – passing marks all around. Good job adapting to your opponents. Remember not to hesitate too much. It’s great to analyze your situation, but sometimes swift action is required.”

“Understood,” Sai said, quietly gathering his things and walking towards town.

Kakashi turned back to Sakura who was now more than a little annoyed. A corner of his mouth lifted. She’d gotten better at holding that tongue of hers, but he could see that she was choking on the words she wanted to say. Kakashi began stretching and rolling his shoulders and doing a few test squats, warming up for what was sure to be a painful fight. “Your chakra is immense,” he said, touching his toes. “That’s true. But ineffective if you can’t hit anything.”

“We were just getting started!” she griped.

He went on, ignoring her. “Your chakra can also level buildings and cause rockslides. There are times where restraint is called for. Yamato-taichou won’t be happy about rebuilding the training grounds…again.”

He peeked at her. Her arms were crossed, her face red with anger, petulance written on her lips. “He can do it in like, two seconds,” she muttered. “Plus, this was just a mock battle! This battle didn’t require any restraint, right?”

Kakashi sighed. “I asked you two to show me what you could do. I already know you can punch a ten-foot hole in the ground. That doesn’t make you a good shinobi.”

He could swear that he could hear her grinding her teeth.

“Let’s spar,” he suggested, not really giving her time to react.

She managed to avoid his first blow, jumping back into a crouch that provided her plenty of leverage to kick off and aim her foot at his temple. He bobbed and spun behind her. If he grappled her, restraining her chakra infused fists, it might illustrate that she needed to rely on her wits and judgment more than her strength.

Unfortunately, her reflexes were too good. She landed in another crouch, ducking below his arms and aiming a jumping punch up towards his chin. He managed to backflip, putting some distance between them. Her close range was too deadly. He realized that even her fist coming that close to connecting, all that massive force behind it, had wounded him.

Predictably, a smirk worked its way onto her face. Sakura was easy to read. She desperately wanted recognition, validation. She was often far too smug at small victories. Working under the shadow of Sasuke and Naruto, two shinobis that no one should be compared to, had left her with an obsession with proving herself. She had yet to figure out her own worth, to realize that her skills were different than her teammates, but not inferior. He usually kept this in mind when he taught her. He used a mix of delicacy and hard truth to push pass those barriers. But he sensed there was something else at play here. She was being lazy, but not because she didn’t care…she was preoccupied. It was a hunch, but one he felt fairly certain about. He’d been her teacher and mentor for five years, where she and the others had worked with him to develop seamless teamwork. They all knew each other better than they knew themselves.

While he tried to puzzle it out, he let Sakura come at him again. Despite his advice to her, she seemed determined to only use her fists against him, like she wanted to prove him wrong. He dodged left and right, keeping an eye on her. He noticed that her eyes were unfocused. She was throwing punch after punch, pouring chakra into her fists like bombs, but she didn’t seem to see where they went. She wasn’t wildly swinging – it was more mechanical than anything.

Finally, he decided to take a risk and catch her next fist. At the last second before their skin connected, he saw her awareness take over enough for her to pull back most of her chakra from the blow. It had been carrying enough to shatter his whole arm.

Instead, he felt only his wrist snap. “Very good,” he said, still holding her fist while she gaped at him in distress. “I guess you really were paying some attention.”

“Kakashi-sensei, why did you do that? I could’ve really hurt you!” She turned his hand over in hers, poking at the bones to inspect the damage.

“You did really hurt me,” he pointed out, wincing as the threads of her chakra reset the bone and began knitting them together. “But I got your attention finally. You haven’t really been present today, and that’s not like you.”

She ignored him for a few minutes while her chakra worked. He could sense it deep within the marrow of his bones. “What are you doing?” he asked, partly to distract himself from the strange feeling.

“Forcing your cells to mature so that some fresh red blood cells are produced. It’ll help with the healing. It’s fixed up now, but you may still experience some discomfort today and tomorrow. Don’t go catching anymore punches. Even from people who aren’t me.”

Kakashi flexed his wrist a little. It was a bit sore, but the bone was mended. He put his hands in his pockets. “So, what’s on your mind?”

She looked like she might try and deflect for a moment. Then she whispered, “I’m being left behind.”

“Sakura…” Kakashi said.

“No. I get it. I have accomplished a lot. I’m proud of my skills as a shinobi. But…now that the war is done, I feel a little lost. Sasuke is gone, seeking redemption. Naruto has surpassed every one of his goals, except becoming Hokage. We all know that’s not that far down the road for him. I’m working at the hospital and training battle medics…and I like what I do, it’s not that. How do I explain?”

Kakashi motioned Sakura over to sit with him beneath the tree. They both took a few drinks from their canteens and wiped the sweat from their brows. “Hmm. I don’t want to speak for you, Sakura-chan.” He reached over and put a gloved hand on her shoulder. “So, correct me if I’m wrong. I think what you are trying to say is that you’re lonely?”

He felt her stiffen beneath his hand. “Naruto is as busy as he ever is, sticking his nose in everything and trying to get stronger. I also noticed that he’s been spending a lot of time with the Hyuuga princess?” Sakura nodded, her eyes downcast. “Sasuke…is gone.” He felt a familiar lump in his throat form. Though they had ultimately saved Sasuke, and he was grateful that Tsunade had pardoned him, there was still something tragic about the boy that he felt helpless against. “We don’t know when he will come back. I know you cared deeply for him.”

Sakura nodded again. “And working at the hospital means you aren’t directly under Tsunade anymore, right? I’m sure you miss your mentor.”

“Yes. It’s all those things. I grew up spending every day with Sasuke and Naruto and you. Even when Sasuke left, we were all so driven towards saving him. I felt so connected to everyone for so long. Like a family. Now I…I live alone and…I feel less confident without them.”

She shifted, pulling her knees up to her chest. She looked young again, and scared. “This is going to sound really stupid, Kakashi. I know it’ll make me seem weak, like I always do, compared to the others. But…with Sasuke gone and Naruto going with Hinata…and Ino and Sai and…and Temari and Shikamaru and…” she threw up her hands, leaving the rest unsaid.

“Oh,” Kakashi said in mild surprise. “You mean…you want a boyfriend?”

Sakura’s face turned red and she turned to him, thumping him on the shoulder for good measure. “That’s NOT it! Or…that’s putting it way too simply.”

A moment passed. Kakashi kept quiet, letting Sakura organize her thoughts. He felt like he knew what she meant. A shinobi’s life could be very lonely. He knew this quite intimately. Relationships were complicated enough for civilians. Trying to have a relationship and form healthy attachments, when attachments essentially equaled weakness…it was a difficult tightrope to walk at times. It wasn’t impossible, but Sakura had some bad experiences with love. Perhaps she was finding it too risky to even try making connections to someone, when all she’d ever known was abandonment and chasing after someone endlessly. Now that the chase was over, she didn’t know where to start.

“I just want to feel important to someone in a special way. I’m tired of silent dinners in front of the couch and weekends with nothing to look forward to. I guess it has me a little distracted or depressed or something.”

“It isn’t stupid, Sakura,” Kakashi said, dropping the honorific as she had done before. “I wish I had some better advice for you, but as you can see…I’m alone, too.”

Sakura slowly raised her eyes to his, as if realizing it for the first time. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

Kakashi looked away. Her eyes searching his, the raw and honest question from a hurting student…it was a little too much. He rarely let his true emotions surface, let alone show. But he felt a bit heavy knowing his student might be going through the emptiness that he had, when his teammates were taken from him.

“I’m used to it,” he shrugged, giving her an eye-crinkling smile.

He wasn’t sure if she bought it. She continued to stare for a moment, her eyes searching his face, eyebrows drawn upward. Was she seeing a vision of herself? Or feeling pity for him?

“Say, Kakashi-sensei…maybe…maybe we could eat dinner together sometimes?”

He chuckled lightly at her. “Two lonely people trying to lighten the load some?”

She twisted her lips into a scowl. “Well it’s not like I dislike spending time with you. You were my mentor too! Is it a crime to miss you as well?”

Kakashi blinked, surprised. Of course, he knew that all his students had affection for him, and he for them. But Sakura was young. Spending her time with an old man couldn’t sound fun, could it? Didn’t people her age want to go out and drink with their friends and hook up? Didn’t she know he spent most of his time rereading his book in his room?

She was searching him again. “You can say no,” she mumbled eventually, eyes turning down to her clasped hands.

'Ah, shit.' He’d hurt her feelings. “And why would I do that? You always were my favorite student.” This time, the smile he gave her was real.

She shyly smiled back. “Really?”

“Mhmm, just ask Pakkun, he’ll tell you,” Kakashi said, pinching her cheek.

She laughed. “I’ll do that.” She shifted so she was sitting Indian style, picking blades of grass and flinging them into a pile. “So…when should we have this first Lonely Hearts Club dinner?”

He smiled. “I’ll have to check my extremely busy schedule. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow works,” she smiled. “Still remember where I live?”

“Of course.”

“Alright. Six o’clock. Don’t be late.”

oOo

Sakura moved around her kitchen awkwardly. It had been a while since she had cooked anything. Take out or stops at little diners on the way home had become fairly common. Cooking just felt like a waste when it was just for her. It seemed like all her pots and pans had gone into hiding during her culinary hiatus.

She’d tidied up her apartment when she’d gotten home from her shift. It hadn’t been terrible, but long hours and early mornings often lead to clothes on the floor, hair and makeup products all over her bathroom counter, and an unmade bed. Now, a sweet candle burned merrily on the living room table. Underneath it was a tasteful display of books she’d never read.

The bathroom was scrubbed and sparkling, and her bedroom was picked up. She’d even watered her poor abused houseplant. 'If Kakashi keeps coming over it’s going to be good for you, little guy,' she mused.

While the saury grilled she cut up the eggplant, dropping it into a pot of boiling water and salt. She found herself humming and smiled to herself a little. Just knowing someone was coming over had her in the best mood. Cooking, cleaning, wearing actual clothes and not her lumpy, shapeless robe…she felt like a real person for the first time in a while, and gratefulness bloomed in her heart for Kakashi. She hadn’t meant to wrangle him into dinner plans with her. She knew her sensei was a solitary guy who liked his privacy. But during their discussion the day before, she wondered if maybe she’d sensed some loneliness in him too. She’d always assumed he preferred it that way, but perhaps he’d just given up. Knowing he’d have some company for once, too, lightened her mood even more.

There was a rap on the door. “Coming!” she called, putting her slotted spoon down and jogging barefoot to the door before swinging it open.

“You made it! What are you wearing?” Sakura chuckled as she stood aside, letting Kakashi come into the entryway and toe off his shoes. He held out a bag and she took it, peering inside. There was a six pack of beers, to her surprise.

“What do you mean?” he said, pulling off a damp raincoat. “These are my civilian clothes.”

Sakura smiled, tilting her had as she appraised him. “I guess I’ve never seen you out of uniform, sensei.” He was wearing a tight long-sleeved black shirt, his mask, and baggy green pants that had an elastic cuff at the ankle.

“And you all said I don’t work hard.”

She snorted as he followed her into the kitchen. “Still raining?” she asked, putting the beer away in the fridge.

“Cats and dogs,” he sighed. He sat down at her tiny, two-person table. “Hope you like beer. I didn’t know what else to bring. I’m a little out of practice for dinner dates.”

Sakura stiffened as he said ‘date’. She peered at him while she stirred the eggplant and switched off the burner, so she could transfer it to a bowl. She hoped she hadn’t given Kakashi the wrong idea about this, but his eyes sparkled teasingly.

“Hope you like grilled saury and miso eggplant,” she teased back, knowing full well it was his favorite. She stirred a fat spoonful of miso paste in with the hot eggplant, watching it melt as she carried it to the table. She plated up the fish, too, that was nice and charred with crispy, salty skin.

As she plopped down across from him she said, “So.” A smirk was lifting her lips, but he didn’t seem to notice.

He reached for the eggplant first, taking half, before grabbing two sauries. “This smells heavenly,” he said. He picked up his chopsticks, hesitating over what he wanted first. “Sakura, could you grab me one of those beers?”

“Sure.” She hopped up and grabbed two. When she turned back around, he was chewing, making appreciative noises in his throat. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked, hand on her hip.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said around his food.

“Kakashi-sensei, isn’t about time I saw your face?”

“Why?”

“Well…how are you going to be comfortable eating dinner here with me if you have to hide it all the time? Do you even take it off at home?”

“I do.”

“Well then take it off here! Make yourself at home. We aren’t strangers.”

“This attempt is cleverer and more convincing than your last, but no.”

She narrowed her eyes at him but gave up. She wasn’t sure why, but her heart sunk a little. Kakashi had never shown his face before, so she shouldn’t be so disappointed. But she was a little weary of barriers. She wanted intimacy of some kind, but she knew she was looking in the wrong place.

Kakashi cleared his throat, watching her carefully. She looked up, mouth falling open as his fingers went to the top of his mask and pulled it down around his throat.

Sakura didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected him to really do it, this thing she’d been vying for all these years. If only Naruto and Sasuke were here to see! She wasn’t sure if this was anti-climactic or incendiary. The shock was making it a little hard to even process what she was seeing. But slowly, she traced his features in amazement. He was normal looking. There weren’t any grotesque warts or swollen lips or buck teeth. He was handsome, actually, and younger-looking without the mask to add the edge. He gave her a sheepish smile and his eyes crinkled with the crow’s feet that spoke of his age. Before she knew what she was doing she stood up from her chair and moved over to him. He blinked in surprise as her fingers reached out to touch, to confirm what she was seeing was real.

Just before they connected to his face, he caught her hand with an uncomfortable chuckle. “You’re embarrassing me, Sakura-chan.”

“Oh!” she pulled her hand back. “Sorry! Sorry I just…that’s you?”

He covered the lower half of his face by leaning into his palm. His face was a little red, and Sakura giggled. She’d never seen Hatake Kakashi flustered. “Yup,” he said through his fingers.

“Wow.”

He raised a brow at her, his eye twitching in mild annoyance.

“It’s just been so long! It was built up so much!”

“Now you see why I wanted to keep the mystery going. It was never anything too exciting,” he smiled.

“You made us think it was earth-shattering,” she accused, crossing her arms.

He chuckled. “Is your earth shattered?”

“No. But you are a lot more handsome than I expected.”

He pulled the mask back up, inspecting the table with interest.

“Kakashi-sensei…are you shy? Is that what this has been about all along? Don’t like compliments?” She couldn’t help laughing as she retook her seat and started plating up her dinner.

He continued to glare at his plate, sullen. “I don’t like being compared to my father,” he confessed. “I get mistaken for him enough, even with the mask on.”

Sakura paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, her face softening. “Of course. Well, lucky for you, I didn’t know your father. To me, you just look like some strange handsome man I’ve never seen before. With my sensei’s hair.”

That got a smile out of him, and he pulled down his mask again to enjoy the meal. After they were done, Kakashi insisted on doing the cleaning up. Sakura lounged at the table with her beer, one leg drawn up to her chest. “This was really nice,” she admitted, feeling warm from the alcohol and the good energy. “You’re good company, Kakashi.”

The corner of his mouth lifted as he continued scrubbing a pot. She wasn’t surprised at the knowledge, per se. Kakashi was a likable man, and had earned the adoration of his students. They were fiercely loyal and protective of him. But it wasn’t often they interacted with him outside of missions. He was quiet and calm, radiating a soothing aura that felt comfortable. But he had a sharp wit and a wicked desire to tease people. That made him fun and kept her on her toes. She felt a strange, sad kinship with him. She wondered at the sight the pair of them made.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he said, putting the last of the dishes on the drying rack.

“You’re just saying that because I made you saury!”

He smiled at her, a dimple appearing in his cheek. “Grab the beers, let’s watch some TV.”

He was already making his way into the living room. Sakura paused. It felt a bit weird, now that dinner was over. There was nothing else to really do now. Without something to occupy her hands, she felt self-conscious. An image of them cuddling up on the couch flashed in her head. Dinner was fine, but drinking and watching TV with her teacher? Was that weird?

You’re the one who wanted company, she reminded herself. With a shake of her head she decided to just go with it. The other alternative was him leaving, and the yawning emptiness still felt too close for her to want that.

She grabbed the rest of the beers from the fridge and joined him. He had already flipped on a game show from Kirigakure and had his arms propped behind his head.

Sakura slid onto the couch next to him, cracking open a beer for him and one for herself. “I love this show,” she said, curling up on the couch. “It’s so obviously scripted. It’s terrible.”

Sakura killed three more beers over the next half hour while they laughed quietly at the TV. Each one went down easier than the last, and she felt loose and warm and relaxed. It was so nice not to be alone. “We need more beer!” she decided, feeling giddy. Since when had she been with a friend like this? “Put your mask on, let’s run to the corner store!”

He stood hesitantly. “Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“Nope! Do you?”

“No,” he murmured.

“Then let’s go! It’s still early. We can play a game or something when we get back if you’re bored of watching TV. Or should we go out?”

“Now now, Sakura-chan,” he laughed. “Let’s not get carried away. You’re still underage.”

She seemed to deflate a little, like his words had poked a hole in her fun. He tsked, hands on his hips. “I didn’t say we couldn’t go to the store. Just that I probably shouldn’t take my underage student out drinking.”

She grinned. “Kay. Come on!”

At the store, she waited outside while Kakashi went in and grabbed another six pack. It was still drizzling, just a mist on their faces and in their hair, but Sakura didn’t mind. She was feeling nostalgic. Pieces of hair were getting plastered to her face and neck, but she swung her arms happily.

“Now I know how to cheer you up,” Kakashi joked. “Buy you alcohol.”

“Doesn’t hurt,” she agreed. She pulled out her key and let them back into her apartment. “It’s really not the beer though, sensei. I’m just glad to have you around. Now let’s drink!”

They toed off their shoes and went back into the living room. Sakura blew out the candle and pushed the table back so they could sit on the floor. She left the TV on, used to having the din in the background at nights. She rifled through the kitchen drawer until she found cards, a bingo book, and a coin.

“Okay, Kakashi, this is called a drinking game,” she said matter-of-factly as she opened the bingo book in front of them.

“I know what a drinking game is,” he said. He cracked open two beers, passing one to Sakura who seemed engrossed in her book, flipping through. It was an old bingo book. Many of those criminals had been captured or killed, and it was missing a few notorious people.

“Ino taught me this one. We make a bet of sorts. I bet that the first person you flip to in the bingo book will be a man. You can disagree with me, and whoever loses has to take a drink. Or, you can agree with me, and we both have to drink if we lose. The goal is to get your opponent way drunker than you!”

She offered him the bingo book with a big grin. Kakashi smiled, seeing the pure happiness on her face. He felt satisfied to be able to do something so good for someone who deserved it so much. He also felt excited to absolutely crush her in this game. The sharingan wasn’t good for nothing – he knew this bingo book pretty well.

“It’s your funeral,” he shrugged. He feigned indifference as he toyed with the edges of the pages. That familiar fire lit in her eyes.

“Go on then,” she smirked.

oOo

An hour later had Sakura laying on her back, hands covering her eyes and a silly grin on her face. “Why’s the room spinning?” she asked. Kakashi wished he knew. He’d seriously underestimated Sakura, and probably not for the first time. Neither of them felt sick, but it was fuzzy, for sure.

“Who won?” he asked. He was lying upside down on the couch, feet dangling over the back of the couch.

“I did,” she declared solemnly and confidently.

“Is that so?” he said.

“Yep! I won the night. I got to see Hatake Kakashi’s face. I cleaned my apartment. I cooked for the first time in forever. I played games. This has just been the best.” A happy sigh left her lips and she turned to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed with alcohol, bringing out the green of her eyes.

“I’m glad, Sakura-chan. Invite me anytime. I’ll come.”

“You can invite me too, yknow,” she groused without any real heat. She slowly rolled to her knees, pushing up off of the table to get to her feet.

He moved to grab her arm and help. “You don’t want that, trust me. The inside of my apartment is an unspeakable place.”

“You just have to have one mysterious thing about you at all times, don’t you?”

Sakura righted herself. “Oop, better clean this up.” She bent over to collect the bingo book, the cards, and the coin they’d used to play her variety of silly drinking games that were less games as they were opportunities to get everyone smashed.

As she stood back up she lost her footing, falling into Kakashi who caught her with a sway. “Careful now,” he chuckled.

He paused when he realized Sakura was looking at him. She was close, too close for comfort, but was peering at his face curiously. “You have a dimple, Kakashi-sensei,” she informed him. She was still flush against him, happy expression suffusing her features.

Before he could stop her, she poked him in said dimple with her index finger. “S’cute,” she said with a grin.

“You aren’t gonna tell anyone right?” he teased.

“About your dimple?” she said, confused.

“Yeah. Or anything else about my face.”

She snorted. “What’s to tell? You’re just hot. I think we all kinda suspected that anyways.”

He stared, unsure of what to say. He supposed it was nice to be considered attractive, especially by a young female, in a “I’ve still got it” kind of way. But Sakura had never said anything like that to him. She seemed to realize it too. Her face was red now and she righted herself so he wouldn’t have to support her anymore.

“Sorry,” she laughed. “That was weird. It’s true, but…you know what I mean.”

“Thanks.”

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Conversations, relationships were never his strong point. Dumbly, before he could stop himself, he said, “You are, too.”

“I am what?”

Shit, he thought. “Attractive?”

“O-oh! Um. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah, I uh…I try. Sometimes between the hospital, the missions, and the training, I manage to take a shower. I’ve heard that helps.”

He laughed, and the tension diffused a little. “Are you going to make it to bed alright?” he asked.

“Considering my bedroom is right there, I sure hope so. And you? Do you need an escort home?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for dinner, Sakura.”

“Anytime.”

As he walked to the entryway to shrug on his jacket and toe into his shoes he said, “You have one too.”

“Huh?”

“A dimple.”

“Oh.”

“S’cute,” he said with a wink, walking out the door and closing it behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura was flipping through a magazine by the window on the following weekend. She was stripped down to a tiny dark pair of shorts and a thin white tank and was desperately trying to catch the pitiful breeze. She’d pulled all her hair up into a messy bun, but pieces escaped and tickled her neck. It had rained all week, and the humidity was still oppressive.

She wasn’t really reading the words on the page. She turned to look out the window, watching the people of Konoha making their way up and down the street. Across the way, on the balcony of another apartment complex, a fat tomcat was licking himself, foot stuck up in the air to complete a rather silly picture. Another cat, a tabby, lounged in a sunny patch.

On the street, a pop-up vendor from Ino’s family flower shop had set up a cart and was selling fresh summer blooms. ‘He’s cute,’ Sakura thought. She didn’t know him, and she wondered if he was displaced from his village during the war. There’d been an influx of people – shinobi and civilians alike – who’d come to Konoha to rebuild their lives. Some came out of devotion to Naruto and a desire to serve him when he inevitably became Hokage. Some had lost their villages in the battles. Some came to help Konoha, which seemed to have gotten the lion’s share of destruction when Pain had leveled half the city. There were so many people in Konoha now, many of them her own age. Yet she felt disconnected from them all.

She sighed and closed her magazine, officially giving up on the pretense of reading it. She continued to wistfully watch the people below, laughing together, and wondered why she found it so hard to relate to them or befriend them. She had always been outgoing and kind. She’d never needed Naruto or, heaven forbid, Sasuke’s help making friends. But with them both off doing their own thing, she found herself on shaky legs. Life was going on. That fact still shocked her sometimes. They’d won the battle. They’d _survived_ the battle, even though many hadn’t. Against literally every odd the universe could’ve thrown their way. Sometimes it still felt like she was dreaming and any moment she’d wake up and realize they were in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Sometimes it felt like she’d never left the battlefield.

Her focus in life for so long had been hellbent on two things: save Sasuke and defeat the mastermind behind Akatsuki and Pain. They’d done that, and for a time she’d been in salvage mode. Healing, rebuilding…none of that had given her any time to think ‘what next’? She’d rehabilitated more shinobi than she could count, including Sasuke and Naruto. She’d joined every cleaning crew, recovery team, and construction group, using her considerable strength and stamina to piece her home back together again.

  
She’d helped Tsunade with the mountain of paperwork – all the various things requiring her attention. Negotiations and correspondence with the other kages, requests for permissions and approvals on all the rebuilding projects, pleas for extra shinobi to go and help other, smaller villages. Yamato-taichou, especially, was working triple-duty to provide temporary shelters for displaced refugees. It was a small wonder they managed to feed everyone.

And there was the battlefield itself. Hundreds of thousands of corpses to be burned, injured people to be moved to makeshift medic tents. Sakura had never seen so many missing limbs, so much burned flesh, and so much mental anguish. Shinobi were more resilient than most. Their training taught them to master mind and body. But the ripples of trauma were still being felt today. She wondered if maybe she herself was a victim of this trauma. She’d been in fix-it mode for so long. Now that there wasn’t anything left to fix – not on the intense scale and magnitude as before – she felt unsure of both her place and her future. But she was a shinobi, Tsunade’s protégé, and a member of Team Seven. She couldn’t afford to be unsure.

Those insecurities ate at her. She could feel herself withdrawing from friends and family alike, when all she desperately wanted was connection and company. It was frustrating. Yearning for something yet actively sabotaging it. She thumped her forehead against the windowsill and blew out a breath. ‘What is wrong with me? Why am I so stuck?’

After a moment there was a popping sound at her feet, and Sakura jumped with a yelp. “Pakkun! You scared me. What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Sakura-chan,” Pakkun approached her with a wagging tail. “Kakashi sent me. He said to invite you to dinner tonight.”

“At his place?”

Pakkun sat down heavily on his back legs, his wrinkled face looking apathetic. “Mm.”

“I thought he said his apartment was ‘an unspeakable place’?”

“Did he?” Pakkun looked bored.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. “Okaaay, well, did he say what time?”

“I’ll come back and get you at sundown. We can walk together.”

She considered it a moment. Then, with a grin, said “Okay! Sounds good. Now shoo, I have to shower!”

She scratched his ear on her way to the bathroom. Pakkun grumbled, “Roger,” and poofed away.

That curling darkness that so often settled on her mind lightened as she reminded herself that she still had friends, and she still had hope to pull through this. She could feel normal again, with time, and she’d start with a shower.

oOo

‘Beer’s out of the question,’ Sakura thought, casting about her apartment for ideas on what to bring to Kakashi’s. ‘Something sweet, maybe?’ Once the idea of sticky, syrupy dango came into her head, her mouth watered. ‘Ohh, yeah. Definitely dango.’

She picked out some civilian clothes – something she was still getting used to wearing on a daily basis. A short pink pinafore dress with a white cropped t-shirt underneath would keep her cool. Her fingers itched to slip on her knee guards, her thigh pouch, her knee-high boots with the hidden pocket for kunai. Even her hitai-ate was draped over a lamp. She wasn’t a retired shinobi, but she wasn’t on active missions.

Her time was split between the hospital and training up a new generation of combat medics. And truth be told, there weren’t that many missions to be had. Peace had settled everywhere – more peace than she had ever known. The villages were cooperating. The Big Bads had been defeated. After seeing the raw power that took them down, who would dare to start up trouble? Of course there was petty crime and those seeking to take advantage of the still-healing state the world was left in. But for now, it was quiet, and Sakura wasn’t needed in the field.

She put her damp hair back into a messy bun. It would be useless to fight it on a day like today – better to keep it off her neck. She grabbed her purse and slipped on a simple pair of red sandals at the door before heading out.

The dango shop was busy when she got there. People lounged at the tables sipping sweating glasses of iced tea and indulging in bowls of anmitsu. She made a to-go order for six skewers and people-watched while she waited.

No one seemed to be paying her any mind. She remembered when she was still a genin, how everywhere you went you’d see a friend. It almost got annoying at times when you wanted some peace and quiet after a grueling day of training. Now, she saw her peers less and less.

Maybe it was just adulthood. People had jobs to do and training to undergo. Her closest friend outside of Team Seven, Ino, was busy training with the Analysis Team, trying hard to fill her father’s empty position in the Intelligence Division. Shinobi didn’t generally have weekends off. They took breaks when they could but were trained to withstand months of active jobs. As Sakura looked around at all the civilians enjoying the Saturday, she wondered at herself being there. Wasn’t she a shinobi too?

“Haruno-san, thank you for waiting!” The stout shop owner made his way over to her and placed her to-go order in her hands, snapping her out of thoughts. “I added an extra skewer for my favorite customer,” he said with a grin.

“Wow, thank you! You’re the best! See you next time.”

Since there was an extra, she pulled out a skewer to enjoy on her way home. It was extra sticky and sweet. She licked her fingers clean and thought, ‘It really is true that sweets make everything better.’

As she neared the apartment she met eyes with the young, handsome guy selling flowers from the Yamanaka family’s cart. “Hello, miss!” he called. “Pretty flower for a pretty lady?”

Sakura paused, watching him warily. She was a bit suspicious of compliments from strangers, though she knew it was his job to sell. She didn’t need another houseplant to kill. But maybe she could bring flowers with her to Kakashi’s?

Mind made up, she walked over. The cart was still bursting with every summer bloom native to the Land of Fire. In big metal tins pink clusters poured, big white blooms stood tall and proud, and yellow bells cascaded. “These would look lovely with your hair,” he suggested with a warm smile. “Miss…?”

“Haruno Sakura,” she said a bit stiffly.

He blinked. His face turned red. “THE Haruno Sakura? Wielder of the Strength of a Hundred Seal? Student of the legendary sannin Tsunade?”

Sakura smiled sheepishly. “That’s me,” she said, hoping there wasn’t dango on her face.

In a flash he’d come around the cart and was shaking her hand. “Wow. Wow. I can’t believe…just…you’re amazing.” Sakura watched, flustered, as he dropped to his knees and into a deep bow. “You saved my older brothers from certain death when you healed them through Katsuyu-sama during the war. The way you shared your chakra with everyone…amazing. Simply amazing. Thank you so much.”

“Um…y-you’re welcome. I’m glad your brothers are safe.”

The young guy looked back up at her, eyes shining. This wasn’t the first teary-eyed thank you she’d gotten over the past couple of years. It was uncomfortable at times to receive such emotional devotion. It somehow made her feel worse about the emotional and mental struggles she was experiencing. Like she was letting them all down. Like she didn’t deserve their praise.

As he pushed himself back up and dusted off his knees she said, mostly to be polite, “I don’t think I’ve seen you are here before.”

“I’m from Kirigakure,” he said with a boyish grin. “My name’s Tahara Yukiro. You can call me Yuki.”

“Kirigakure, huh? Didn’t you want to go back there after the war was over?”

She could tell by the adoring way he was looking at her that he didn’t. He was definitely the type that came to Konoha to witness the many legendary shinobi who resided there. “I’d always dreamed of coming to Konoha. Now seemed like the best time, you know?”

“So, you work for the Yamanaka Flower Shop? Ino is my best friend.”

“Yeah, she has spoken of you on a few occasions. Where are you headed? I’ll give you some flowers, no charge.”

“I don’t think Yamanaka-san wants you giving away her flowers,” she laughed. “But I’m going to have dinner with my sensei, Hatake Kakashi.”

Yuki froze. She swore she could see his hands shaking mid-reach for the flowers. He said in a low voice, “Kakashi…?” He turned to her, face blank. “You mean…THE Hatake Kakashi? The Copy Ninja? Sharingan Kakashi? Leader of Team Seven?!”

Sakura openly giggled. “Yes, the very same.”

Yuki gave out a cry and started loading her arms with flowers. “Wha- Yuki? Woah, slow down!”

“It’s the least I can do,” he said as he piled on some pale purple blooms. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay Yamanaka-san back. Please take them. And please tell Kakashi-sama thank you for me.”

Sakura could barely see Yuki over the garden in her arms. But she smiled at him softly. Devotion to herself was a little uncomfortable. But devotion towards her teacher? She totally understood. She felt the same. “I will. Thank you, Yuki. I hope we meet again!”

He waved her off as she jogged up to her apartment building and climbed the stairs. It took a bit of maneuvering with her arms so full, but she managed to unlock the door and bump it open with her hip.

“Wow,” she heard a gravelly voice at her feet which she couldn’t really see. “Were you flower picking all this time?”

Sakura laughed as she set her burden town on her kitchen table and wiped the back of her hand across her brow. “No, just accosted by one of my adoring fans. You know, just another normal day!” She winked at Pakkun. “They’re for Kakashi-sensei, too. Just let me grab a vase and we’ll go!”

She managed to find a vase that was almost big enough. She filled it shallowly with some water and squeezed in the flowers the best she could. It was full to bursting, but it looked nice and smelled heavenly.

“All right. Ready!”

oOo

“Sakura. I had no idea you felt this way!” Kakashi exclaimed, taking the vase from her hands and setting it on the little table by the door.

Sakura slipped her sandals off, letting his snarky comment pass, far too occupied with trying to look around him and get a peek at the room. No one had ever been to Kakashi’s place. In fact, as Pakkun had escorted her over she’d realized that she didn’t even know exactly which apartment was his. Now she was inside and greedily drinking in the details of her mysterious teacher’s home.

It was not at all like she expected. In the field and on missions, like most shinobi, Kakashi was a simple, functional guy. He didn’t use big or flashy weapons. He wore the same simple tac vest, shirt, and mask combo daily. His hair was recognizable, but there was nothing he could do about that short of cutting it, and regular hair cuts were far too much effort. His leadership style was the same. Quick, to-the-point, and efficient. She’d thought maybe his home would be the same – sparse furnishings, no décor, clean and organized lines. Or perhaps it would be a den of perversion, full of Icha Icha books and posters and other lewd things. There was no in-between.

But as she stepped inside, handing off the dango to Kakashi, who said his thanks and headed off to the kitchen with Pakkun, she found that it was very warm and inviting. The place was a little smaller than hers – the main area was all one room, with what she presumed was a bedroom tucked behind a door on the far left. From the door she could see Kakashi rifling through the dango container. His kitchen was small, with a fridge that only came chest high. He had a wooden baker’s rack that was stocked with sauces, seasonings, and spices. A pot rack hung on the wall with a handsome set of copper pots and pans. She spied some cookbooks stacked on top of the cutting boards.

On the other side of the apartment was the living room. It was small, dominated by a cushy looking sectional. Over the back there were some blankets draped, and a colorful assortment of throw pillows were spread throughout. There was a tiny round coffee table in between the couch and the TV. Where there was space, he had shelves stuffed with books, pictures, and knick-knacks. There were at least two, warm vintage looking lamps scattered throughout the room. There was a window straight back that was cracked open, letting in the humid evening air and moving a merrily tinkling windchime. A window seat was underneath that, and Icha Icha was open and face down on it.

She blinked. Everywhere she looked there was something cozy. Rugs. Blankets. Candles. Plants. Even a few framed pieces of art decorated the walls, as well as a tasteful mirror. It was a little haphazard – the colors and patterns of things were all a jumble, like he’d assembled all this over time without thought to making a matching set of anything. But that only seemed to add to the charm. This looked like a place you could really kick back in. It was lived-in.

“Sakura-chan…what are you doing?” Kakashi had one cheek full of dango as he stared at her with a raised brow, chewing.

“Just looking. I’ve never seen your place before.”

“It’s not much,” he chuckled. “But I don’t need much.”

Sakura had to disagree. The golden light spilling in from the window illuminated the room in a soft glow. “Kakashi-sensei, it’s so adorable. Why doesn’t my apartment look this good?”

“Well, Sakura-chan, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. I really should go through it all someday. Some of this stuff isn’t even mine.”

“Who-”

“Dad’s,” he said simply.

“Right. Well. Thank you for having me over,” she bowed. “Pardon the intrusion.”

He smiled at her and his eye crinkled. He kept the left one closed most of the time, despite the sharingan being gone. “Ah!” Sakura suddenly yelled and pointed at Kakashi’s face. “The mask! The mask is off!”

“I told you I didn’t wear it at home, didn’t I? And you’re just now noticing?”

“There’s just a lot to take in right now! I’m in the enigmatic Hatake Kakashi’s home. Must be the first girl you’ve had over in a while, eh sensei?”

Kakashi laughed, crossing his arms over his chest and raising a brow. “What makes you think that?” There was a smirk on his lips that Sakura had never seen before. She realized how much the mask had hidden his facial expressions. Most of them were implied but seeing the wry twist to his lips…she cleared her throat, her face inexplicably hot suddenly.

“I was promised dinner. Where’s my dinner?” She made her way over to the couch and flopped down. It was ridiculously squishy and soft. She grabbed a throw pillow and began studying it, willing the strange flush to go away.

“And here I thought it was company you were after, not food. Was it all a charade?”

“All I’ve had to eat today was one stick of dango. If I have to wait any longer for food I might pass out on this super comfortable couch.”

Kakashi had moved towards the kitchen, but the room was small enough that he could still easily converse with her. “Sakura, it’s almost seven o’ clock. What have you been doing all day?”

Sakura stiffened. She’d had one of those listless days – the kind where she’d stared out the window and aimlessly wandered her apartment, attempting to clean but only half-heartedly, until she finally gave up. Once she settled and got lost in her thoughts sometimes hours would go by before she realized it. It wasn’t a conscious effort to neglect herself. The time just seemed to float past without notice.

She shook her head. She couldn’t tell Kakashi that. If she did, he would worry. He would suggest she take some time off or maybe even get some help. He’d tell Tsunade or appeal to Naruto who couldn’t keep his mouth shut to save his life. Or, he’d feel burdened to help her on his own and their time spent together would only feel like obligation instead of…instead of what? It struck her again, the odd couple they made.

Thankfully, the question seemed rhetorical, because Kakashi was digging through his fridge and said “What do you want to drink? I’ve got tea, water…beer?” His head popped over the refrigerator door and he wagged his eyebrows at her. 

“Tea’s fine, for now,” she said with a small smile. “Where did Pakkun go?”

“I released his summon. He’s grumpy after running errands for me today. He’s getting lazier by the day.”

Kakashi came over with an actual tray that had two glasses and a pitcher of cold tea. He set it on the little coffee table and poured her a glass. The tray also had a small plate, piled up with the dango skewers. “Thank you,” she said, accepting the glass from him.

He plopped down beside her and grabbed another dango.

“Were you on missions this week, sensei?” Sakura grabbed a dango too, pulling off the first syrupy ball into her mouth and chewing. He was still in uniform – all that was missing was the tac vest and his mask.

“Mm. It was a long week. Shimogakure has become a bit lawless. It seems a lot of rogue-nin have taken it over as a kind of headquarters. All the criminals that escaped during the war when prisons and such were destroyed have gathered there too.”

“Why isn’t the Raikage dealing with it?”

“They’ve been dealing with a crazy storm. Biggest one in fifty years. It’s dangerous to travel, and all the rain is causing landslides and flooding. They don’t have any men to spare.”

They munched in a companionable silence for a moment while Sakura looked around the room. There were so many details to pick up on. She wished she had fifteen minutes to explore. “You know, you don’t have to call me sensei anymore. I haven’t been your teacher for a long time. Furthermore, we’re the same rank. You don’t have to show me such deference.”

Sakura blinked, turning back to him. He was reclining, one arm thrown over the back of the couch and an ankle crossed over his knee. “Ah…I know. It’s just a habit. You’ve always been sensei to me…” Giving up the honorific felt even more like a removal from the past and life she’d known. But perhaps clinging to it was childish, maybe even unhealthy. “I can try. What would you prefer to be called?”

“Hmmm,” he rubbed his chin, drawing Sakura’s eyes to his mouth. It was a nice mouth. He had a beauty mark under his lower lip, straight white teeth, and a defined jawline. She’d guessed vaguely at his facial features beneath the mask, but it was still jarring to see his naked face. A good kind of jarring.

“Kakashi-sama? Kakashi the Great and Venerable? Kakashi, O Savior of the Shinobi World as We Know It?”

Sakura tossed a throw pillow at his head. “How about Baka-shi?”

He laughed, lips upturned and shoulders shaking. ‘He really is handsome,’ Sakura mused. ‘Hiding a face like that should be a crime.’ Even the scar running down the left-hand side of his face only served to make him more attractive. ‘How unfair.’ She shifted, feeling flushed again. It was a bit weird, feeling a small attraction blooming for her sensei. But she couldn’t deny that seeing him without the mask had shifted her perspective a little. She’d always admired him greatly, and she cared for him and the rest of Team Seven more than anything else in the world – even more than her own parents, admittedly. But she’d never _noticed_ him like this. She supposed she’d been too young, then too hell bent on Sasuke. By the time she had outgrown her first love and matured into a woman, Kakashi was firmly rooted in the platonic category. She hadn’t given his appearance or his availability much thought. She just…loved him, like they all loved each other. Fiercely, and with everything they had.

But of course, Kakashi had to be exceedingly handsome. Just like he was exceedingly kind, talented, and noble. It didn’t help that she’d been craving intimacy – someone to chase away the emptiness and uncertainty she lived in these days.

“Dinner’s in the oven. Should be done any minute. I was thinking we could watch a movie? I have a pretty good horror collection,” he said. “Or something else. Whatever you want.”

“No, horror’s good! Pick something you like. I’m gonna run to the restroom. Um…where…?”

“Oh, you have to go through the bedroom. Straight back, you’ll see it.”

“Okay.” She got up, scooching past him and walked towards his bedroom. Now she _really_ felt strange. As she slid the door open and stepped inside she paused. The room smelled like Kakashi, woody and warm and very masculine. The bed was slightly crumpled, like he’d slept on top of the covers – no doubt an afternoon cat nap if she knew Kakashi at all. He had a small nightstand with a lamp, a chest of drawers, and a closet. One drawer was open, and a long-sleeved shirt hung partially out. Sakura felt a weird buzzing thrill go through her at being in his room. Because this wasn’t just her teacher’s room. This was a much older, attractive man’s room. And she seemed to only be realizing that for the first time. How alone they were together, having dinner and watching a movie. She never would’ve thought anything of it before, but it was like a switch was flipping before her very eyes. And with that came some insecurity. Because admitting that there was some attraction there was opening herself up to rejection. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more unrequited feelings. She shook her head and marched to the bathroom.

oOo

Kakashi watched Sakura disappear into his bedroom. It was an odd sight, for sure. He took in a deep breath and released it. Being out in Shimogakure this past week doing recon had given him a lot of time to think. As he’d reflected he’d realized how much fun he’d had with Sakura that night at her place. There was an ease between them that came from years of working and living and training closely together. Not to mention what she and Team Seven had gone through together. But under the familiar easiness was also, to his great surprise, chemistry. Sakura was funny, energetic, passionate. She was also struggling, he could plainly see. The aftermath of war, of battles, of loss – he knew it all too well.

He’d been taught how to lead a team, how to kill enemies, how to gather intel…he hadn’t been taught how to counsel his students (no, his _peers_ ), on how to deal with PTSD. All he could do was be there for her. But he found himself relaxing around her, too. He’d shown her his face. They’d played drinking games. And now he was inviting her to _his_ home, a sanctuary he didn’t often share with others. She was quite disarming. The familiar way she spoke to him or even touched him was bred from years of closeness.

But all the sudden he was beginning to realize how much older she was, which made that closeness somewhat problematic. He had a seventeen-year-old girl in his bedroom right now. A very attractive one, who seemed to prefer short clothing that showed off her legs completely. They were having dinner and a movie – no matter how he qualified it by explaining their relationship and the current circumstances, it sounded kind of bad. Not that he’d told anyone – another reason it felt strange. He was reluctant to tell people he’d had dinner with Sakura and they’d drank together all evening. He wouldn’t think twice about telling people the same thing had happened with Naruto, but he didn’t want people making dangerous assumptions.

Partially because…well, he _had_ entertained the thought. How could he _not_? ‘She’s young, she’s attractive, we’re alone…am I a total pervert for just thinking these things?’ It hadn’t crossed his mind much before. She was a kid when they met and in love with Sasuke for so long. He’d noticed her beauty unfurling as she got older, but in a purely objective kind of way. Once or twice he’d been struck by a thought, a feeling, an observation – she had a fine figure, a lovely face, and they’d worked closely during the war. Literally. She’d healed him fifty times over, he’d carried her, they’d hidden in close quarters. He’d been pressed up against her a few times before and he was only human.

He’d have to tread carefully here and not let himself blur the lines. He was certain that Sakura wouldn’t appreciate any advances, should he ever feel compelled to make them, and he also didn’t want to start thinking about her that way on a regular basis either. Short dresses be damned.

There was a ding, interrupting his thoughts. He walked to the kitchen and threw on some oven mitts, so he could carefully remove two individual pots from the oven. Inside was his ultimate comfort food – kamameshi. Fairly unsophisticated, it was just rice and vegetables cooked with chicken, but it was the perfect dish to eat after a long mission.

He heard Sakura approach him. “That smells good. Can I help with anything?”

He turned to look at her. The sunset light from the window was spilling over her, turning her pink strands coral and reflecting the hidden gold in her eyes. She looked a vision, hair pulled up into an artfully messy bun, skin smooth and pale, legs strong and lean, toenails painted red. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she smiled at him. He swallowed, turning around.

“No, no, I’ve got it. Plus, you’re the guest. Just have a seat and I’ll bring it over.”

“Ohhh, the special treatment! Okay, don’t mind if I do!”

He heard her flop back onto the couch.

He assembled another tray with their bowls and took it over, making room next to their tea and sweets. “Tada! The Kakashi clean-your-fridge-out special! It tastes better than it sounds.” Sakura peered into her bowl, inhaling, and gave an appreciative moan.

“Real food,” she groaned, quickly grabbing a spoon and scooping up a bite.

“Make sure you blow on it,” he chuckled. He turned to a small shelf beside the TV to browse the movies.

“Yes, _Dad_ ,” she sassed.

“I’m not that old, Sakura-chan,” he complained. He ran his fingers down the spines of his DVDs, searching for an old favorite. Once he located the title, he popped it into the player.

“Well…technically, aren’t you?” She chewed innocently as he took his place next to her and fiddled with the remotes, so he could pull up the movie menu.

He did the math in his head and made a face. “Well, _technically_ I guess I am, if I were some kind of delinquent.”

She laughed. “Well…aren’t you? You read porn in public.”

“It’s not porn! How many times do I have to tell you kids that. It’s literature! If you guys think _that’s_ porn, boy are you in for some surprises. So, _no_ , I’m not a delinquent. I’m just a guy who enjoys romance and who waited until the very mature age of fifteen before having sex.”

Sakura spit her rice back into her bowl. Her face was red, but she was laughing. “Ohh, oh so sex at fourteen is delinquency but at fifteen it’s what?”

“Pretty normal, I’d say,” he laughed.

Sakura paused, her face getting redder and her expression shifting to a scowl. “Normal for a pervert!” she yelled, hitting him on the head with a throw pillow repeatedly. He held up his hands to fend off her attack, chuckling.

“Woah! Woah! If you’re going to keep assaulting me with these things, I’ll have to hide them the next time you come over.”

She ceased her barrage but was still giving him a narrowed side eye while she resumed eating. “Pervert,” she muttered under her breath.

“My apologies, Sakura-chan. I didn’t realize this was such a sore subject for you.” He reached over and patted her head. “Don’t worry, it’ll happen for you too, someday.”

This time he outright laughed, hopping over the back of the couch as she roared, slamming down her bowl and leaping after him. There wasn’t very much space to run or hide, so he had no choice but to defend himself against her punches. “Kakashi, you idiot!” she yelled. He dodged and moved around her in circles while she cursed him, her dress flaring teasingly around her hips and legs, green eyes bright. He managed to hook his foot around her ankle and drag her leg out from beneath her, causing her to topple. Or, she would’ve if she hadn’t caught the back of the couch while simultaneously fisting her fingers into the front of his shirt for leverage.

As a result, he fell over her somewhat awkwardly. She was pressed up against and bent over backwards on the back of the couch, resting her weight on her hand. He was leaned over her – one hand had managed to catch on the back of the couch, too, but the other had slipped and had landed on the cushions instead, which brought the two flush together, their noses almost touching and hips bumping.

Squeaking, Sakura quickly took stock of their position. Holding herself up using his shirt was only pressing them closer together. He seemed stunned, and her fist was stopping him from moving. She did the only thing that seemed feasible. She released his shirt and let herself fall backwards on the couch in an ungraceful heap of limbs, quickly grabbing at her dress hem to cover herself.

“Hah…well, that was…,” she trailed off, clearing her throat and righting herself on the couch. “Your food’s getting cold. Let’s watch this dumb movie already.”

Kakashi shook his head, clearing his mind of the feel of her against him and the scent of her strong in his nose. ‘She’s your student, Kakashi. Former student. She’s underage. She’s vulnerable.’ He repeated this to himself like a mantra, dousing any lewd thoughts before they could even form. He decided he really must be some kind of pervert. This was Sakura. He’d known her since she was eleven years old.

He slowly lowered himself next to her and flipped on the movie. She was sitting stiffly and shoveling rice into her mouth, looking pointedly at the TV. As he eyed her, he admitted to himself that she hadn’t been that little girl in a long time. This has never been a problem for him before though. Was it the one-on-one time forcing him to acknowledge that Sakura had become a fully developed young woman? Had the presence of the others diluted the intensity of that fact?

He shook his head again. It didn’t matter either way. He had obviously made her uncomfortable, and now she seemed content to ignore him the rest of the night. “I wish I’d see more of those kinds of moves when you’d fought Sai. It would’ve made the fight much more amusing.”

He gave her an eye crinkling smile and the tension in her seemed to diffuse. “I told you I was just getting started. I’m sure at some point an awkward backflip over a couch could’ve happened if you hadn’t interrupted us.”

“You should trademark that move. Maybe ask Naruto to name it for you.”

She snickered. “Yeah, yeah.”

With the mood lightened and her smiling at him again, pink suffusing her happy features, he couldn’t resist teasing her just a little. “He could call it the Panty Flash of Evasion technique.”

He barely managed to dodge the throw pillow aimed for his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2!


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi felt a tickle on his face, persistent and irritating. He opened his eyes and brushed away the moth that was fluttering near his ears and hair. It must have come in from the open window, attracted by the blue light of the TV. The heavy fog of sleep lifted slowly, as it always did after long missions and tireless travel. He’d fallen asleep on the couch, sitting straight up like some old man taking his daily nap. The TV was still going loudly, but it was only the movie menu repeating over and over. ‘Must’ve finished,’ he thought, reaching out to turn it off before he had to hear another scream of terror.

He glanced over, surprised to see Sakura asleep, stretched out on the couch, wrapped around a green suede pillow. Her legs were bent slightly, and her dress had ridden up considerably. It barely kept her decent. He ran a hand down his face with a quiet groan, feeling the strange combination of guilt and self-disgust mixed with desire settling over him. ‘She’s seventeen. She’s seventeen. She’s _seventeen_.’

And boy, was she. He couldn’t help it. His eyes traced her from toe to crown, appreciating every inch of soft skin, every curve and dimple, her body young and lithe. Exotic pink hair. Moonbeam skin. Jade eyes, slightly slanted on a heartbreaking face. Lips round and parted as she slept. ‘Damn it,’ he thought.

He swallowed. He knew it was wrong of him to feel anything other than platonic, familial feelings towards Sakura, because of his relationship to her as her former teacher. But she’d saved people and killed people and fought in the darkest war of their history. As he traced the bottom edge of his lip with a thumbnail, he appraised her. ‘She’s seventeen. But she’s not a little girl. Hasn’t been for a long time.’ He couldn’t make himself see her as such anymore. And that was causing a major problem – seeing her for what she really was. Because she was beautiful, mature, kind, and engaging. And so ridiculously tempting.

He shook his head. Perhaps waking in the middle of the night had left him less guarded than usual, the veil between good sense temporarily disintegrated by sleep and dreams. He often woke up horny. That’s all. It’s just that this time he had a living, breathing girl on his couch to fixate on. He sighed and asked himself again how smart this time spent together really was. If he couldn’t be responsible about it, he didn’t deserve to indulge in it. And he was a little alarmed at how quickly the dynamic between them seemed to be shifting. But he also knew that Sakura really needed and enjoyed the company of a familiar face. He’d have to suck it up, and not only for her sake. He was enjoying himself, too.

He paused for a moment, wondering what to do. It was late, sometime around two in the morning he guessed. He could wake her and muster the energy to see her home. He could let her sleep, though he’d feel bad going to his bed while she slept on his old couch, comfortable as it was. He could offer her his bed, though he was sure she would staunchly refuse. He finally settled on covering her with an old handmade quilt he kept thrown over the back of the couch. He moved to stand, intent on leaving Sakura and the troubling thoughts behind in favor of his bedroom, when he felt fingers clutch the bottom of his shirt.

“Kakashi?”

“Oh. I’m sorry I woke you. I guess we both fell asleep.”

“I was dreaming,” Sakura said, voice still thick with sleep. “Of the battle.”

Kakashi stilled and slowly lowered himself back onto the couch. He didn’t have to ask which battle. She continued to clutch his shirt. “You were there,” she murmured, watching him with slightly unfocused eyes.

“I was,” he agreed with a soft smile.

“I mean in my dream, too. You were there.”

“Why, I’m flattered.”

She slowly sat up. “You saved me that day, y’know. Many times.”

“You saved me, too,” he said, patting her free hand.

“I’m not sure I ever properly thanked you. Or apologized.” Her voice was a little wobbly.

“Apologized?”

“You saved me. And…allowed me to continue living in this world. And I’ve done such a bad job at that.” Her eyes were suspiciously shiny. “You almost died giving me my life. And I…Naruto is going to be the Hokage.”

“Sakura…you don’t need to compare yourself to Naruto. Or anyone, for that matter.”

“So many people died, Kakashi. You almost died. Naruto and Sasuke almost died. Why should I get to…”

“You don’t even realize how many people you saved, do you?”

She slowly blinked up at him, jade eyes shimmering with tears and eyebrows creased with anguish. “I should have saved more. I should have given all of myself, every drop of chakra – down to my life force. I could’ve saved hundreds more. It’s my one job, to heal people. And I let so many die.” The tears finally spilled, and she lowered her head. The fingers clutching his shirt trembled. “I don’t know how to live with that. I’ve been trying, I really have. I’m sorry, sensei. I’m sorry!”

She threw herself into his lap, her face pressed against the top of his thighs where she shivered and soaked him through with tears.

“Sakura, shhh…don’t cry. It’s alright. You’ve done well. You’ve _been_ doing well. I’m proud of you.” He let himself card his fingers through her disheveled hair. It was impossibly silky, flowing through his fingers like water.

After a few moments, she quieted except for the occasional hiccup. She slowly turned her face to peer up at him. “You are?”

“Yes. I’m more than proud - I’m amazed by you. I can’t believe you’re one of _my_ students. I suppose I’ll give Tsunade some of the credit, but, hey. Sakura…you have no idea what it feels like to watch someone you care so much about reach and exceed their potential. You have no idea how relieved I am that you’re alive.”

She sniffled and slowly sat up with a small smile. “Then I suppose it’s a good thing you did such a great job saving me. I’m sorry for the emotional outburst, I just…Those kinds of dreams always make me feel so weak.”

“It’s okay,” he promised. “Sakura…we can talk about this more later.” At that, her expression began to close. In her waking moments the dream and her emotions had gotten the better of her, he knew. Now, she was already brushing off his concern. “Don’t. Don’t tell me it’s not a big deal. We don’t have to talk about it now or even soon. But we’ll revisit this. That’s an order.”

She smiled at him and snorted. “What happened to not being my teacher or even my leader anymore? You can’t order me around.”

“I think I can. I’m still your elder. You have to respect me.”

“Well, you certainly are my elder,” she said with a grin, wiping away the last of her tears with a sigh.

“Must you remind me so often?”

“You can’t have it both ways Kakashi. Either you’re my elder and I must respect you, or I’m supposed to promote the illusion of your youth by treating you like my equal.”

“Illusion of youth,” he grumbled, delivering a swift pinch of revenge to her side where her crop top didn’t cover. He still felt the warmth of her skin on his fingers as he pulled away.

She was watching him with a curious expression on her face, as if searching him. He raised a brow at her assessment, and she eventually said, “Well, don’t worry! Just six more months til I join you and the other elderly folk in the village.” At his uncomprehending look she said, “My birthday. It’s in six months…and I’ll be eighteen.” She paused, watching him. “Old and grey, just like you!” Kakashi swallowed. She was giving him a shy look from beneath her lashes, gauging his reaction, when he realized what he supposed she was implying.

He had enough experience to know what attraction looked like. He had suspected but had told himself she was just friendly and comfortable with him. Now, with her face slowly turning pink he felt almost sure she was hinting at it. But was it because he was here, comforting her? Was she just lonely? He cleared his throat. “Is that so?” he said, trying to sound casual and neutral. “Got any big plans?”

“I’ll probably go out and drink my _first_ alcoholic beverage. Since, y’know, it was illegal to, before. So, I never did it. Ever!”

“Old enough to risk life and limb for your village, but not old enough to enjoy the comfort of a stiff drink. I never quite got that rule,” he said, smiling at her.

“Hm. Probably just trying to discourage those inevitably awkward drunk hookups. You know how horny teenagers are.”

Was he imagining the slight smirk turning up the corner of her mouth? The twinkle in her eye? Was she actually _flirting_ with him? He wasn’t sure, and uncertainty was never something he dealt well with. He liked to know all and predict all, a fact made even more solid when you had a sharingan to learn enemy maneuvers. He cleared his throat again. “Yes, I _was_ a teenager once upon a time, Sakura.”

She toyed with the tassels on a nearby throw pillow. “Kakashi…can I ask you something?”

‘Here we go,’ he thought with a silent groan. “Sure,” he replied.

“What’s sex like?”

Kakashi choked on nothing – on spit or air – and sputtered a coughing, “ _Excuse me_?” He thought he saw faint amusement on her face at his reaction.

“I said, what’s sex like?”

He stared at her open mouthed. “What kind of question is that?” he asked, shaking his head. He was sure his face was burning.

“Don’t you know? Or was the whole fifteen-year-old newly made man story a lie?” she asked.

“Sakura, you’re seventeen. You’re telling me you don’t know about sex?”

“I know what it _is_ , Baka-shi. I know what it entails. I’m a doctor, for heaven’s sake! I’m asking what it’s like. They don’t teach that in med school, nor did my mom seem inclined to share her experience.”

He slowly relaxed back into the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. “Wouldn’t you rather know what it’s like from a woman’s perspective?”

She watched him for a moment, hands clenching and unclenching into the pillow, before lowering her eyes to her lap. She mumbled something he didn’t quite catch.

“What was that?”

“I said…I said, is that an offer?”

Kakashi’s brain short circuited for a moment. He traced and retraced their conversation for a piece he must have missed. She slowly raised her face and looked him in the eyes. Her cheeks were pink, and her brow was creased with worry. But she held his gaze steadily. Waiting. Bracing for his answer. He waited for her to laugh in his face, to insist she was joking. She picked at the threads of the tassel in her hand, occasionally glancing at it, but continued to peer at him curiously and patiently while he figured out what the _hell_ to say to that.

No? Yes? Yes, but no? No, but yes? ‘Fuck.’

Intelligently, he finally whispered, “What?”

Sakura tucked a piece of hair behind her reddened ear, her face turning a bit petulant as she glared at the tassel in her hands that she was beginning to shred. “Really, Kakashi, I know you’re old, but you haven’t lost your hearing, have you?”

“Sakura…surely you’re joking?”

Her face turned into a full-on angry pout as his pillow became in imminent danger of coming completely unraveled under her increasingly strong attack. “Of course, I’m joking…I know you can hear!” she snapped. He thought he heard a thread pop.

“Not about that,” he said. “You asked me if I was offering…?”

She flung the pillow at the wall where it fell with a sad thump to the floor. “Yes, Kakashi-sensei! Or Kakashi. Or whoever! Yes, I was…well I wasn’t exactly asking about _that_.”

“Then what were you asking about?”

“I wasn’t really trying to ‘ask’ anything,” she said with a sigh, deflating a little. “I was trying to put it out there that I…I’m interested. In…in you. In that way? And in other ways. Look, it was a lame attempt at…flirting. Which I’m terrible at.”

“But why would you flirt with _me_?” he asked, still flabbergasted.

“You’re really gonna make me spell it out,” she growled through gritted teeth. She was reaching for another throw pillow to either destroy or chuck at his head.

“Woah, woah, put the pillow down. I…I think I get what you’re saying.”

She let the pillow rest threateningly in her lap. “I’m…flattered,” he said, clasping his hands together in his lap.

“But?” she prompted. When he didn’t immediately respond, she said, “It’s okay, Kakashi. If you don’t feel the same, I understand.”

“It’s not that,” he said in a rush. “It’s…”

Sakura waited, watching his face. She said, “It’s… because I’m seventeen? I’m your former student? It’s weird to see me as an adult? You’re worried what others would think? You don’t do relationships of almost any kind?”

He blinked. “Yeah, that about sums it up. And hey, I do relationships!”

“Not of the romantic variety,” she countered, smoothing her hands over her dress.

“Is that what you’re looking for?”

“No!” she blushed. “Yes? Not romantic, per se, but…”

“Sexual?”

She went redder than ever before. “What I’m looking for is…like what we have now. What we’ve been doing. Hanging out. Talking. Laughing. But also…”

“Also, what?”

She seemed to be summoning her courage, eyes fixed determinedly on his face and fingers clenched for dear life onto his pillow. Slowly, she relaxed her fingers one by one. He watched her, wary, as she scooted over until their knees were touching, her fingers reaching out towards his face. He caught her hand before it could connect. His heart rate was calming down from the initial shock, and now heat was stirring in him. This was a bad idea. She gazed at him, disheveled hair and clothes and yearning in her eyes. Her hand felt warm and small in his as he balanced on the edge of a knife, unsure if he was swaying towards her or away.

“Sensei?” she whispered, the word suddenly sounding quite sinful falling from her lips.

‘Do something, Kakashi,’ he hissed to himself. ‘Do _some_ thing. Answer her. Don’t just stare like a fool.’

She took the hand wrapped around hers and slowly drew it towards her. He watched, mesmerized, frozen, as she placed his hand on her hip in open invitation. After a moment, he slid that hand up, over her side, along the side of her breast, and up her neck before it settled on her nape. Pulling her forward, he stopped when their noses bumped. He could feel her breath puffing out over his lips and her scent filling his nostrils, strong and sweet and mixed with his from sleeping on his couch. Her eyes were heavy lidded and dark and clashed prettily with the flush on her face and the dark sooty sweep of her lashes. Her fingers were clenched in the fabric of his shirt and crushed between them as their chests touched.

And slowly…slowly he let his hand drop, and his eyes squeeze shut as he pulled away. “I can’t,” he said. His voice was rough with lust. He braced himself for her reaction. Tears, perhaps, or a fist to the face. He certainly felt miserable enough to take one.

He heard her blow out a sigh, and when he opened her eyes she was smiling, her eyebrows upturned. “Okay,” she said, her face open and sincere. When he watched her cautiously she laughed a little, though it still sounded a bit disappointed. “What? Did you think I was going to freak out or something if you said no?” She shook her head in mock consternation. “I have matured a little over these years, you know.”

He relaxed and gave her a tentative smile back. “I know, Sakura. Trust me.”

She stretched. “What time is it anyways? Of all the things crowding up your place there’s no clock.” It was an obvious diversion, but he gratefully took it.

He pointed out a small one clustered amongst his books and pictures. “Almost 3:00,” he replied. He still felt a bit awkward and incredulous at what had just occurred. He never thought he’d find himself in that situation with Sakura of all people, and it was a lot to process.

“Yikes. I’d better get home,” she said, standing and smoothing her dress skirt.

“Are you sure? You’re welcome to stay until morning.”

She smiled. “And make my poor sensei squirm the rest of the night? No. I think you may need some alone time to get back to your typical levels of annoying. You seem a bit dumbstruck.”

His thunderous expression made her giggle. “I _am_ dumbstruck!” he groused as he stood up and crossed his arms.

“I’m sorry,” she grinned. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. And I hope…well, I hope you’ll still want to spend time with me. I promise not to bring it up again.”

She was teasing him, but he could see the serious concern lurking in her eyes. She didn’t want to lose the closer friendship they’d been building because of the awkward fog laying on them. And he resolved not to let it.

“If anything, I want to hang out with you more,” he quipped. “You’ve done wonders for an old man’s ego.”

“Well, I can do more for your ego, if you’d like.” She gave him a devilish grin as he squirmed, once again struck at being flirted with by Haruno Sakura. And she really wasn’t bad at it. “Kidding, Kakashi. Sort of. But really, I’m kidding.” Her laughter followed her to the door as she toed on her sandals, and he glared at her back.

“You sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked.

“Come on, Kakashi! Let a girl go lick her wounds in peace,” she laughed.

“Sakura…"

“I’m fine. Really. Both with getting home on my own and with everything else. If you’re so worried you can always swing by my place tomorrow and check on me. I don’t have work, as long as I’m not called in.”

He appraised her for a moment as she finally tugged her stubborn strap over her ankle. “Mm. Alright,” he said. He was feeling a bit unable to keep up with her, something he wasn’t used to in his life at all. He was always one step ahead of the game. Especially with the ladies. Little did Sakura know, but he could turn on the charm when it was warranted. He was holding back for fear of taking things too far with his former student, but to her he probably looked a bit lame.

He walked over to her, unable to resist getting his own digs in. “Sakura?”

“Hm?” she asked, pausing halfway out the door.

“If it’s good, it’s mind-shattering. Like chidori in your veins. Pleasure pulsing over every inch of you, driving you crazy. There’s a moment you totally lose yourself. Sex, that is. You asked, remember?”

She looked at him with wide eyes, her face burning. “And if it’s bad?” she whispered.

He gave her a pleasant smile. “I don’t know.” He leaned down to her eye level. “I’ve never had that problem.”

“Oh,” she breathed.

“Goodnight, Sakura. Thanks for coming over.” He waved her out the door before collapsing on the couch with a groan.

oOo

“Oiiiii! Sakura-saaaaaan!”

Sakura slowed her run to a gentle jog as she squinted into the sun at someone waving her down. “Oh! Yuki, it’s you. Good morning!” She trotted up to him on the park trail near her apartment. He had a basket in his arms full of blooms.

“Good morning to you as well, Sakura-san. You’re up early!”

“So are you,” she remarked. She used the towel around her neck to wipe her face. It was hot and muggy, summer still clinging on rather viciously. She took a sip from her canteen.

“The life of a florist, Sakura-san,” he laughed. “Did you have fun last night?”

Sakura just about spit the water all over her new friend. “What?”

“With Kakashi-sama? Didn’t you meet him for dinner?”

“Oh! Oh, yes, yeah, I did. Thanks for the flowers, again, by the way,” she smiled, also realizing she’d never actually told Kakashi who they’d been from. Just as well. Kakashi was about as fond of adoring fans as she was. “We, uh. Just watched a movie.”

“Oh? Anything good?”

“Just a cheesy horror flick, truth be told. What about you? What does a guy from Kirigakure do on a Saturday night in Konoha?”

He laughed. “What does any guy do on a Saturday night in any town? Me and some of the other guys from Kiri went to a couple of bars and mingled with the fine people of your village. Our village, I suppose.”

“You mean the fine _ladies_?” she guessed with a wry grin.

He shrugged innocently. “Only one way to meet people. Gotta put yourself out there, y’know?”

“Right,” Sakura said, feeling a little stab in her gut. She knew that. She also knew she could rarely muster the effort to go out and do said meeting and mingling, preferring to hole up in her room under a pile of blankets.

“I think we’re going back out tonight, if you wanna come,” he offered, shifting the basket up higher on his hip.

“I’m impressed by your stamina, but I have a long shift at the hospital tomorrow. Also, I’m not quite legal yet,” she admitted with a flush, thinking back to last night.

“Seriously? I guess I just figured…Well, we – my friends and I – all look up to you and the other Konoha shinobi so much it’s easy to exaggerate your ages in our heads. When’s the big day?”

“Six more months, just about, and then I’ll be free to terrorize the bars,” she laughed. “Wait, how old are _you_ , Yuki?”

“Twenty-four,” he informed her.

“Wow. You look so young!”

He laughed. “Yeah, yeah. My friends tell me all the time how boyish I am. The first month in Konoha was rough – none of the bartenders knew me and were all convinced I had a fake ID. My friends thought it would be funny to help them along in that assumption.”

“They sound like an interesting bunch,” she smiled.

“They are that,” he admitted with a laugh. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your run. I just wanted to say hello.”

“Tell Yamanaka-san I said hello!” she waved as she jogged off, resuming her run.

As she ran, partly to distract herself from thinking on the events of last night for the twentieth time, she imagined instead a world where she went out with people. She’d gotten some offers from friends over the past year, of course. But she had been so used to saying no for so long as she threw herself into working to rebuild the world and to honor the memory of all the people who’d died…all the people she’d _let_ die.

Her schedule was much more open now, but it was still her first instinct to say no. Somehow, she couldn’t stomach the thought of merrymaking like that. Just one of the many things she couldn’t seem to handle anymore. But she _was_ proud of herself for last night. She’d put herself out there, and boy had it been _out there_. Her style had always been a more ‘pine openly for years for someone who clearly doesn’t have time or desire for you’ kind of approach. She’d thought perhaps time and devotion might have changed Sasuke’s heart. But he’d always had much bigger fish to fry, so to speak. She understood that now and didn’t resent him for it. It had taught her, though, that perhaps a direct approach would be better.

So, despite the inherent ‘wrongness’ of it, the high probability of failure, and even the suddenness of which these feelings of attraction had come on, she’d laid it all out there for Kakashi to see. It still shocked her, a bit, to think of Kakashi as anything other than her teacher…but, no, that’s not all he was to her. Even before this. He had always been something incredibly important to her. Friend might not be the right word…at least not at first. Teacher, mentor, teammate…family. Friend and loved one all rolled into one. Comfort. He had always represented guidance and comfort. She supposed it wasn’t so weird, then, after all the layers of separation were stripped away and it was just him and her, hanging out as friends and equals…well how could she not be attracted? Gorgeous and talented, Hatake Kakashi was well-admired by the women of Konoha. She’d always known that, although a young Sakura couldn’t fathom what they saw in him. Her tastes then had run to moody boys who ignored her.

Now she more than saw the appeal. She thought back to last night, his hands smoothing through her hair as he told her he was proud of her. The intense relief she felt at those words was staggering, and it was in that moment she realized how badly she wanted to kiss him. ‘Praise me more,’ she’d thought, to her slight embarrassment. And he almost had. She could see how much he’d wanted to, and the feeling of his hand smoothing up her body had been divine. But he had made his feelings known, and she would respect them. She hadn’t gotten her hopes too high, to begin with. She wasn’t sure she even deserved romance.

There was a small part of her that was tempted to persuade him, by potentially entertaining means, to give it a shot (whatever it was). But…she’d spent the last five years trying to convince someone to love her back, only to realize that something like that can’t be forced and perseverance wouldn’t help her case.

She rounded the street corner to her apartment and took the stairs two at a time, pushing out a last intense burst of cardio. She was surprised to see the object of her ruminations standing at her door, fist poised to knock. He had on his typical uniform, mask securely in place over his nose. “Oh, good morning Kakashi!” She jogged the rest of the way to him. “Have you ever been awake this early before?” she teased.

He looked tired. The mask helped, but she could see dark circles under his eyes. “Couldn’t sleep last night,” he said with a yawn. “Not after you left, anyways.”

She laughed. “Well, gosh, maybe I should’ve stayed. What’s up?”

“I figured if I was forced to be very much awake this early in the morning, you should be doomed to the same fate. But here you are, back from a morning run of all things. You really _are_ young. I’m tired just looking at you.”

“You’re tired because you’re tired,” she giggled. “And I’m used to early mornings. And late nights. Hospitals are kind of a twenty-four-seven affair, y’know?”

“Mmm,” he hummed. “I also wanted to make sure you made it home alright. Three in the morning isn’t exactly the safest time of day. Even in Konoha. Or especially in Konoha?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

She snorted. “Konoha has suffered the perils of danger at all different times of day. But I think we’re safe, for now.”

He looked at her, his one eye crinkling with a smile that slowly faded. “Look, Sakura. I want to apologize. If I did or said something that misled you…”

“You didn’t,” she cut in. “It may surprise you to know that I can think and feel all on my own, sensei, without needing leading in one direction or the other.” She smiled, despite her sarcastic words. “I just…felt something and took my shot, and it didn’t work out. No big deal.”

“No big deal,” he echoed, somewhat doubtfully.

“Am I going to have to go out and get a boyfriend to prove it to you?” she giggled. “I’m not heartbroken, Kakashi. I didn’t have my hopes up. I just wanted to kiss you and went for it and…Oh well.”

“Kiss me? You didn’t try to kiss me,” he corrected, leaning against her doorframe with a raised eyebrow.

“Well. I wanted to. I wanted you to, I mean. To kiss me. That’s why I put your hand on my…”

“I know! I know. I’m just saying…you didn’t try to kiss me.”

“Okay! Sheesh.”

“Just wanting to keep the story straight,” he said with a feigned air of indifference.

“Oh, there’s a story, now, is there?” she asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe opposite him.

“Mmm,” he confirmed.

“And how does that story go?”

“Well, it’s a dastardly tale, I’ll have you know. I was home, exhausted from a long week of missions, and feeble, when a young girl came into my apartment with flowers and lascivious intentions.” She sputtered, but he went on. “I graciously made her dinner, while she devised a plan to sleep over, creating the opportunity to fall into my lap. Literally!”

Sakura was turning red, brows scrunched in annoyance. “Kakashi,” she warned.

“She tried to get my mind on sex, feigning innocence and playing on my innate desire to teach others, and offered herself to me…even going so far as to put my hand on her chest!”

“Kakashi! It was NOT my chest it was my hip and you KNOW it you idiot!”

“Ah, but my chastity remains intact, nothing to fear. Because as beguiling as she was, and as efficiently as she’d worked her magic charm, I had the good sense to save both of our reputations and send her home.”

“Where’s a throw pillow when you need one?” she growled menacingly. He smirked at her, easier to recognize now even with his mask on. “It’s not feigned innocence, anyways.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “For someone who obviously feels _so_ awkward about it, you sure do keep bringing it up.” She raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and she thought he might be a little pink under the mask. “I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t inadvertently made you feel like I expected that from you. I know we’ve spent some time alone and, hey, even slept together!” She punched his arm. “I just wanted you to know that it was never my intention to lead you in that direction. I also wanted you to know that you were…well, quite charming. It’s not you.”

“Oh god,” she moaned. “It’s not you, it’s me? Let’s quit while we’re ahead.”

He laughed. “It’s not me, either. It’s just. I just can’t.”

She toyed with the spare hair tie on her wrist, snapping it a few times.

“Can I…can I ask why, specifically? I mean, I can guess, but…you don’t seem like the type to normally care what the world thinks of you, if that’s the main issue? Or perhaps it’s the girl you object to?”

He sighed deeply and appeared to think on it for a few moments.

“Tell you what? We can talk about it when I get back from Shimogakure. I have a three-day assignment there starting tomorrow.”

She sighed and shook her head with a faint smile. “A cliffhanger? Well, at least I have something exciting to look forward to.”

She could tell he was grinning under the mask, the bastard. “See you in four days,” he called, walking away towards the staircase. “And it’s not. An objection to the girl, that is. So stop worrying.”

“I wasn’t worrying,” she muttered to herself as she fiddled with the lock. But her lips curved into a smile that kept reappearing over the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed. :)


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